


Prison Life is Hard

by fangwulf



Category: Not Another D&D Podcast (Podcast)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23122966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangwulf/pseuds/fangwulf
Summary: The yellow gems that imprison our heroes might stop them from seeing the world around them, but that won't stop them from fighting.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 40





	Prison Life is Hard

"Hello?" 

The voice was echoing, tired, as he pushed against the sides of the ... Gem? Prison? It was impossible to say what had happened. At least he'd distracted the Horseman of Plague against capturing Bev.

At least he'd finally been able to protect him.

There was space, but no room, no surface to rest on, to regain his...

To regain his what, exactly? He didn't have a God. His spells were out of reach. 

It didn't just kill him outright. 

But why?

What did it have to gain?

"HELLO!" He bellowed, his voice echoing. Trying to find a place to rest. It was impossible in this fractal prison. 

_Quiet._ A voice. It wasn't his own. A hissed whisper sounded in his head. The Message cantrip? Possibly. _She'll only hurt you._

He yelled. Smacked against the walls. He didn't care. 

"HAH!" a much louder, much more boisterous male voice shouted in response. "THAT'S RIGHT! Fight, lad! Fight for all you're .... GAAAH!" 

The roar of pain came out of nowhere, and then the electric shock that shot through his body was intense. He screamed - he couldn't stop the sound from echoing through the crystal, his own sound of pain enough to almost deafen, sending him tumbling to his knees.

 _I told you._ That voice, again, in his head, through his own pained whimpers. _She doesn't want us talking. I keep telling Ulfgar that but he just keeps fighting._

Erlin fought to think, to do anything. _What does she want, then?_ A swift thought, floating on the wind. A returned Message. Or maybe she was just reading his mind. He didn't know that cantrip, after all. 

_Good job, kiddo,_ the mental voice encouraged. The words. They had power. _Smart. Think your thoughts. She can control our bodies, but not our minds. Now. Let me help first. I don't know why she has you. You have power. That much is certain. Life. With your healing she has backups. She could live forever, I guess. But you don't have spells she doesn't have access to._

That thought sent a chill up his spine. Was that was she was plotting? "Well, I..." He paused. _Well, I don't have any spells. She murdered my God._

 _You have spells, little dude._ That voice was so casual, and the use of 'dude' made his heart hurt in an odd, unbearable way. _You just have to access them. Find your REAL God. And believe me. She has access to your spells, even if you don't think you have them. But I've gotta say, if you figure out how you use your spells, and not her? And kiddo. You'll have out-thought the greatest Wizard in Bahumia._

Of course. Ulfgar. And the Wizard in his head was Alanis. Yep. She continued in his head. _Just can't think when I'm sober. Of course this stupid prison wouldn't have weed. Straight-edged, boring Thiala and the Chosen._ He felt the scoff in his head. 

"Can..." No. _Can you get a Message out?_

 _I've tried. Believe me. No one's responded. But we can message inside the gems. Ulfgar - he's not stupid, he's really not - but Magic's beyond him. It's nice... To have someone to talk to who doesn't think it's a trick of Thiala._ There was almost a pleasant laughter in his head, and for a brief moment, he felt almost comforted. _What's your name, little dude?_

 _It's Erlin,_ he thought. _Erlin Kindleaf._

There was a definite pause. And a messaged response. _Shit. That crafty bitch._

_What? What is it?_

_What?_ The response barely disguised the worry. She had said she was sober, after all. _Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it. You look into accessing your spells, Kindleaf. I'll keep trying to think of a way out and Ulfgar..._

As if on cue, there was a WHAM that sounded. 

_He'll keep doing his thing. Okay?_

He nodded, but realized she couldn't hear that and thought the affirmative instead. Think. He had to think. 

He couldn't keep being saved. 

He'd do the saving, even if he had to outthink the greatest Wizard in all of Bahumia.


End file.
